<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Steady by hibiren</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25892563">Steady</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hibiren/pseuds/hibiren'>hibiren</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst and Feels, Anxiety, Comfort/Angst, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Developing Relationship, Drabble, Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fear, Feels, Ficlet, Gentle Kissing, Holding Hands, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Late Night Writing, Living Together, M/M, Nightmares, One Shot, Sharing a Bed, Short &amp; Sweet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:16:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>844</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25892563</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hibiren/pseuds/hibiren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rude wakes up in the middle of the night, shaken by a disturbing nightmare. He turns to Reno for comfort, even if he can't speak up and find the words to actually ask him for help.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Reno &amp; Rude (Compilation of FFVII), Reno/Rude (Compilation of FFVII)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Steady</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I know it's small and a little bit rough, but I hope you enjoy this little Reno/Rude scene sparked by a sprint I did in my Turks-centric server the other day! I really liked it even though it was short and I thought I should post it... I hope it fills you with feels!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>It was all just a dream.</em>
</p><p>Everything still feels too real, <em>too</em> dangerous - even as Rude gathers himself, turns over his trembling hands in the dark, makes sure they’re still there. He’s trying desperately to slow the pace of his frantic breathing and calm his thundering heart as he counts his fingers, one by one. They are all, as he confirms, still attached. He’s not wearing his gloves. His hands aren’t covered in blood. He’s just staring at two normal hands, <em>his</em> hands, his calloused skin.</p><p>Beside him, Reno stirs in his sleep, and Rude instinctively shifts away from him. Rude realizes he’s completely drenched by sweat; his shirt sticks to his chest and utter disgust churns his stomach as the images from his dream flash across his mind again, amplified by the pitch-blackness that blankets the room like a screen and threatens to bring his nightmare to life. The heavy smell of burning leather and rusting metal and smoke invades his senses, fills his lungs, and he holds his breath, fighting back the urge to gag as the acrid taste burns his throat.</p><p>With a soft, frustrated grumble, Rude presses the heels of his palms against his closed eyes, like that would do any good keeping his lingering fear away. Oddly enough, it does let him momentarily forget about the awful sensation tearing through his lungs. He’s awake, he’s not dreaming. Reno… Reno is beside him. Alive. Not dead. Just asleep. Still breathing.</p><p>Slowly, Rude reaches over, feels along the line of the tangled sheets until his cold, shaking hands brush against warm skin. Reno shivers but grabs the blankets and rolls over, closer - still asleep. Careful not to wake him, Rude traces the curve of Reno’s arm down to his wrist and presses his fingertips to it. He just… needs to <em>feel</em> Reno’s pulse, afraid that his mind is lying to him. Reno still doesn’t wake up when Rude touches him, and his hand just hangs limply as Rude lifts it ever so slightly so he can intertwine their fingers.</p><p>Reno’s fingers slowly close around Rude’s, even though he’s dreaming. He’s still alive. They’re still alive. Through everything, somehow, they’ve managed to survive it all. Maybe it was luck, maybe not. Rude still had to decide that for himself.</p><p>In the dark, Rude slowly fumbles his way around the sheets to wrap his other arm around Reno’s back in an attempt to pull him closer. Reno lets out a sleepy groan and blinks; his eyes are half-open and still heavy with sleep as he struggles to find the silhouette of his partner. When he does finally meet Rude’s gaze after reaching up and feeling around for Rude’s face, he offers a lopsided, sleepdrunk smile and mutters, “Hey, partner… why’re you awake? Mm… can’t sleep?”</p><p>“Guess you could say that,” Rude answers, and it’s not entirely a lie.</p><p>Reno’s hair reflects the thin beams of artificial streetlight from outside that slip through their closed blinds, and Rude just wants to touch it. He would, if Reno were still asleep, but he can’t bring himself to do it now.</p><p>“Go back to sleep, yo, it’s… it’s real fuckin’ late… no, early? ...Is it early? I dunno…”</p><p>Rude says nothing, even though he can feel the words forcing their way up his throat and trying to pry his lips open to just <em>get out</em> of him. Instead of speaking, he just lays back like nothing’s wrong. When he realizes he’s still holding Reno’s hand, he guiltily averts his gaze and tries to pull away.</p><p>With a yawn, Reno pulls the blankets up to his shoulders and closes the distance on the bed between them, laying his head on Rude’s chest. His unkempt hair just ends up everywhere, and Rude combs it out of the way with his fingers, as if he’s taking advantage of the opportunity.</p><p>Still half-asleep, Reno whispers, “I gotcha, partner… get some rest, yeah?”</p><p>“Easier said than done,” Rude whispers back, although the weight on his chest is welcome. It’s Reno, it’s not his own worries. The solid, gentle weight of his partner’s body laying across him is the best thing he could have asked for in that moment. He brings Reno’s hand up slowly to his lips, brushing them against his soft skin. A smile, just the smallest hint of one, crosses Rude’s face when he pulls away and catches that dreamy little spark in Reno’s eyes.</p><p>Things are okay, when it’s just them, like this - just them, nothing and no one else - when it feels like the whole world and life itself, everything outside of their little apartment, pauses for them for a while. Rude falls asleep with Reno in his arms, easily lost to the way his partner’s steady breathing leads him back to his dreams - no fire, no destruction, no fear; just Reno, smiling, and laughing, his voice and his body and his hair and the air surrounding him all warmth and brightness like the sun. His sun. His light.</p><p>It’s the best night’s sleep he’s ever had.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm sorry it's so short aaaaaa I just really wanted to share this! I'm still working intermittently on things between my big writing project and some cosplay work, but I'm glad to be able to post now and then when I get small bursts of inspiration!</p><p>As always if you wanna keep up with me: I have twitter! You can find me there as <a href="https://twitter.com/duskynebula">duskynebula</a>, although I occasionally post/link NSFW content so please be 18+ if you wanna follow me!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>